Terrors In the Night
by Frodo3791
Summary: A short Lord of the Rings story. Eldarion, son of Aragorn and Arwen, has a nightmare and Aragorn tells him a story of Lúthein. R/R! (Has been edited for typo)


Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or the story of Lúthien Tinúviel. They all belong to the late Mr. Tolkien.

  
  


A/N: I have been really fascinated with the story of Lúthien Tinúviel. So, I have decided to write a short story about it. Hopefully you all enjoy. Please read and review and tell me what you thought of it. (Has been edited because of mistype of immortality for immorality... oops.)

  
  


The king and queen of Gondor slept peacefully in their room in the palace when suddenly a cry came from the next room, awakening them and sending them running into the room. "Eldarion?!" Queen Arwen's voice worriedly asked.

Her answer was that of a sobbing child, holding his hands out for his mother to pick him up. She did and brushed his hair with her fingers, whispering into his ear, "It is all right, my love."

The king moved over to his wife's side. He looked about the room, checking to make sure nothing was amiss. Concluding that all was normal, he relaxed and sat upon his son's bed. 

Eldarion rubbed the tears out of his eyes and looked at his father. "You're alright!" he said joyously. 

King Ellesar stood up and motioned to take the child from his wife's hands. After the queen had left, he asked, "What do you mean, Eldarion?"

"I thought the orcs had got you," he replied, wiping his tears away again with the back of his hand. 

The king smiled. He then sat on the bed and spoke, "It was a dream, son. Do not worry. Nothing is wrong."

Eldarion nodded, his dark shaggy hair hanging in his face. "It seemed real though. I was so scared."

Ellesar brushed the hair from his son's eyes. "I am here. There is no need to worry."

Eldarion situated himself in his father's arms, resting his head upon the man's strong shoulder. Certainly nothing could hurt him here. The worries melted away in the young boy as he rested. For long moments there was silence. Ellesar began to wonder if his son had fallen to sleep when the little boy's small voice asked, "Will you tell me a story, father?"

Ellesar laughed. "Tell you a story? It is long into the night. You need to get some sleep."

Eldarion's light blue eyes looked up to his father, "Pwease?"

The king sighed, "One story, then you must go to sleep. Your uncles visit in the morning, if you do not recall it."

Eldarion smiled, overjoyed that he had won. "I will go to sleep when it is done," he promised.

"Let me tell you then the story of Lúthien Tinúviel, said to be the most beautiful elf to have ever graced this world," began Ellesar. Eldarion listened eagerly, settling down to here the story. "Lúthien was the only daughter to the King Thingol," he continued. "He loved his daughter very much. One day, Lúthien took a walk into the woods and met a strange man. Beren was his name, a mortal. Beren was captivated by her beauty and fell in love at first glance of her."

"Elves are beautiful, aren't they father?" commented Eldarion, getting a smile from his father.

"Indeed they are. They are very beautiful," he replied, thinking back to the time he had met his wife in the forest of Imladris. He began the tale again. "Lúthien took Beren before her father, and he was appalled that his royal daughter should wish to marry a mortal. He then took to thinking of things that would stop their love."

"Why?" asked Eldarion innocently. 

"He thought that it would not be good for his daughter," answered Ellesar. "He did not want her to give up her life to their people. He knew that if she joined with the man, she would throw away her immortality, then giving into the pains of a mortal life."

"What is imorarity?" asked Eldaroin.

The king laughed at his son's attempt to say the word. "Immortality is being able to live forever," he replied.

Eldarion tried taking in the thought of being immortal. He shook his head, not being able to comprehend the thought of living forever. 

Ellesar smiled and continued, "Her father then came up with an idea. He set Beren off to what he thought was an impossible task, to recover a Silmaril from the Crown of Morgoth himself, an evil being."

"Did he do it?" questioned Eldarion.

His father replied, "Let me continue the tale and you will see." Eldarion then returned to being quiet, and listened. "So Beren left his love's home in pursuit of the journey. Lúthien became sad, darkness falling on her. She went to her mother, Melian, and told her about how she felt. Her mother told her that it meant that Beren had been captured by Sauron, a demon of the Morgath, and Beren was being held in his dungeon. Lúthien then decided that she must set out and help her love, though her father tried to stop her. She left her home, going through many adventures that we do not have time to fit into this story."

Eldarion's face saddened, but he let his father continue. 

"Along the way, she met Huan the Hound, who offered his help to her. Together they reached Sauron's Isle. With Lúthien's magic and the strength of Huan, they defeated Sauron and rescued Beren."

"But Beren had not finished what he had first set out to do. Being a determined man, he set out again to find the Simmaril, this time with Lúthien. With Lúthien's powers, they were able to reach Angband, and there they met the great wolf Carcharoth that guarded the gates. They found a way into the Dark Throne and Lúthien made a spell that put Morgoth and his court into a deep slumber. Beren then cut a Silmaril from the Iron Crown, and they departed, feeling overjoyed that they had done it and even more love built between the two."

"When they had reached the gates again, Carcharoth barred their escape. Beren held up the jewel to protect them from the wolf, but it bit off his hand, consuming the Silmaril with it."

Eldarion then gasped in horror, leaning closer into his father.

The king continued, "However, the Silmarils were blessed by Varda herself, and whenever uncleaned flesh touched them, they would be whithered and burnt. The insides of the wold were then burned, and off it ran, howling."

"Lúthien then healed her love with her magic. Finally, they reached Lúthien's father's kingdom again. Delighted with their success, they could not wait to return. But, alas, they then heard news that the evil wolf had entered into her father's kingdom, and Beren then set out with others to hunt the wolf, leaving Lúthien alone in sadness again."

"By nightfall they returned. Lúthien ran out to them. They had slain the wolf and had recovered the lost Silmaril, but Beren was wounded, wounded so badly that Lúthien could not even heal him. Beren then passed on, leaving Lúthien to be left alone in grief."

Eldarion pulled his blanket up, covering him and his father. "What happened to the elf?" he questioned timidly.

"She died of grief, for elves may be immortal and not know sickness like we do, but they can die of a broken heart, or otherwise of despair," replied Ellesar sadly. Taking in his son's saddened appearance, he brought his arm up to him, rubbing the boys cheek with his thumb, "But that is not where the story ends. When Lúthien's spirit went to the Halls of Mandos, she sang a song of such immense power and beauty that it moved even the heart of Mandos himself. Mandos then granted her a special fate. She became a mortal and returned to Middle Earth with her love. They dwelt here for a long time in happiness, reuniting in the love that were not allowed before, and that, my son, is where Lúthien Tinúviel's and her mortal love's story ends in this world."

Eldarion looked up to his father. "Love is too complicated," the boy commented.

The king laughed, "Perhaps it is, my son, but it's also a very beautiful thing."

Eldarion nodded, falling into sleep. "How did you and mother fall in love?"

"I have told you one story too many this night," replied the king. "Elladen and Elohir arrive tomorrow at noon. You do not want to be asleep when they arrive. Get rest now while you can." He then slid out from beneath his son, putting a pillow beneath the prince's head. King Ellesar motioned for the door. 

"Night father," came the tired voice from the bed.

"Sleep well, Eldarion," responded Ellesar, leaving the room and returning to his own. He then got into his bed beside his wife. Her eyes did not waver when he lay next to her, so he presumed she was asleep. 

When the king had shut his eyes, he heard the soft voice from his wife ask, "What were you and Eldarion talking about?"

"I told him a story," he replied, wrapping an arm around his wife's thin form.

"Nothing that will give him another nightmare, I hope," she responded.

"He will sleep fine tonight," Ellesar answered. "But I'm afraid I'll have many more stories to tell him on the matter we spoke of."

Arwen turned to her husband. "Which was?"

"Love," he replied, a smile on his face.

She shook her head, a smile gracing her features as well. "We will have a love struck prince on our hands before we know it."

"Then he shall be as happy as this love struck king," answered Ellesar, beginning to give into sleep.

Arwen kissed her husband and fell back into sleep. Love was certainly a beautiful thing.

  
  



End file.
